The department has found equal success in its retention efforts because it provides a friendly work place focused on the fire-service tradition in a family environment. The department extends an open invitation for spouses and children to visit the station and spend time with their on-duty family member. The department also has family centered events such as the annual department picnic, and families are encouraged to march with their firefighter during the town's Fourth of July parade.

Individual companies also are encouraged to adopt their own logo and motto to promote ownership in their apparatus and in the department.

So what are some other tried-and-true methods of recruitment?

Be visible. Be a part of the major activities in the community. Let people see firefighters in venues other than at fire and EMS calls, where they are expected to be.

Also hang banners or posters on apparatus or community displays that tell everyone that the department is looking for new members. I recently saw a poster in Hagerstown, Md., that showed several firefighters standing beside an engine with the caption “Picture Yourself Here — Volunteers Needed.”

Host regular public-education programs and use the local media to promote fire- and life-safety campaigns, including recruitment. Talk up the department and all the good it does, using recent statistics in your message. For example, last year Wyoming Fire-EMS made 587 fire and 1,410 EMS calls and the volunteer agency saved the community the nearly $2.2 million a comparable all-career department would cost. Constantly remind folks that you are a volunteer department and not only protect the community, but save them a lot of money besides.

Simplify the process. Place your application on the department's Web site and give applicants a preview of the training they will need to become firefighters and/or EMTs.

Have a standard application process that includes a background check, physical and an orientation that may include a Big Brother/Sister to mentor the applicant. Also have a plan in place to welcome, train and equip these new members, and extend that welcome to their families.

Start young. Institute a Fire Explorer, Junior Firefighter or Fire Cadet Program that shows young men and women the value of volunteering for community service and provides a meaningful way for them to be of value to the fire-service organization. Our cadet program has run for 42 years and has provided scores of firefighters throughout the years.

Also partner with other local groups, from the school district to the local houses of worship, to help promote the spirit of volunteerism and community service within their membership.

Show gratitude. Have an annual community recognition evening that presents longevity or special-merit awards such as Firefighter or EMT of the Year. These events also can serve as open houses to recruit new members.

Remember that not everyone can be an interior structural firefighter, but there should be a meaningful job for every volunteer in the organization.

Ride with pride. Set a high standard and ethic for both your personnel and your service delivery. The more professional your operations, the more individuals will value belonging to your department.

Chief Robert R. Rielage, CFO, EFO, MIFireE, is the chief of Wyoming (Ohio) Fire-EMS, a 78-member combination fire department bordering Cincinnati. He previously served as the fire marshal of the state of Ohio. A graduate of the Kennedy School's Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government at Harvard University, Rielage holds a master's degree in public administration from Norwich University and is the immediate past-president of the Institution of Fire Engineers-USA Branch. He is a member of the FIRE CHIEF Editorial Advisory Board.

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For More Info

Several good publications can help with recruitment and retention programs.

The U.S. Fire Administration produced the report, “Recruitment and Retention in the Volunteer Fire Service-Problems and Solutions.” It is available for download at www.usfa.dhs.gov/applications/publications.

The International Association of Fire Chiefs' Volunteer and Combination Officers Section offers four white papers related to recruitment and retention:

• Blue Ribbon Report, “Preserving and Improving the Future of the Volunteer Fire Service.”
• Red Ribbon Report, “Leading the Transition in Volunteer and Combination Fire Departments.”
• White Ribbon Report, “Keeping the Lights on, the Trucks Running, and the Volunteers Responding.”
• Orange Ribbon Report, “Leading and Managing EMS in Volunteer and Combination Fire Departments.”

They are available at www.iafc.org.